The photokina is the world's largest trade fair held in Europe for the photographic and imaging industries. The first photokina was held in Cologne, Germany, in 1950, and since 1966 it has been held biennially in September at the koelnmesse Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre in Deutz. Starting in 2018, the fair will become an annual event, and beginning in 2019 it will be held in May. Many photographic and imaging companies introduce and showcase state of the art imaging products at photokina. The show has two main competitors, both annual shows held in different parts of the world. The CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan, originally the Japan Camera Show, has been held since the early 1960s. In the U.S., the main photography show is PMA@CES, which since 2012 has coincided with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The first photokina was held in 1950 at the initiative of Bruno Uhl . Noting the importance of the trade show, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a greeting telegram marking the opening of photokina in 1956.